Rothschild is widely regarded as the greatest banker in history. One of eight children born into the Jewish ghetto in Frankfurt, his family was not only poor, but also had to face numerous purges when both businesses and individual lives were at risk. Despite this, Rothschild created an empire across greater Europe such that the “Red Shield” became the banker of choice for the great and the good.

Famously sending his five sons to different parts of Europe (the "five arrows" on the Company Shield), tasking them to become a dominant force in each location, Rothschild also laid down the basis for a family dynasty that, to this day, maintains its reputation for commercial acumen, influence and philanthropy.